1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fall protection systems and, more particularly, to a system for securely supporting a user engaged in building repairs and renovations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Falls are the leading cause of worker injuries and fatalities in the construction industry in the United States. Each year, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites, despite numerous federal regulations requiring the use of fall protection systems. For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that personal fall arrest systems will, when stopping a fall, limit maximum arresting forces, be rigged such that an employee can neither free fall more than six feet nor contact any lower level, bring an employee to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance to 3½ feet, and have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of a worker free falling a distance of 6 feet or the free fall distance permitted by the system. Many other rules and regulations govern worker safety and must be complied with to reduce worker injuries.
One approach to providing protection when work is being performed on the side of a building, such as during window installation or repair, is to remove the roof ridge cap or sheathing and install an anchorage to the truss or rafter structure underneath as roof sheathing does not provide enough support. This process necessary compromises roof integrity and can lead to future problems, such as leaking roofs and lost roof tiles. In addition, this approach requires that contractors have access to and climb onto the roof to install and remove the anchor system, which is time consuming and may require additional equipment not necessary for the particular job and location.